MEMO TO: All RPV State Central Committee Members
All RPV Local Unit Chairs
All Virginia Republicans
SUBJECT: 2021 RPV State Convention
I’m writing to apprise you on the situation regarding arrangements with Liberty University (LU) for the 2021 RPV State Convention. There has been much discussion over the last 24 hours regarding the arrangements, and I feel obliged to provide an update to my fellow SCC members, local unit chairs, and grassroots Republicans.
This past Tuesday evening, February 23rd, an SCC majority voted to approve an assembled state convention as the method for selecting our statewide candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. The approved Call to Convention specifies that it will be on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at 9am on property owned by Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Voting will be by ranked choice voting. The convention will be configured to comply with current and anticipated COVID protocols, using paved parking lots that are expansive, are located off the main campus, can accommodate large numbers of vehicles, and are rented to us at LU’s standard market price for similar events.
Yesterday, February 24th, LU’s Office of Communications and Public Engagement issued a press release clarifying that it had not yet reached final agreement with SCC representatives on details that would lead to a final contract. Their press release was necessary to answer inquiries posed to LU officials by media representatives and members of the local LU community. These questions directly resulted from an erroneous Virginia Mercury news story that contained factual errors. Note: The statement in the LU press release that no contract has been executed with RPV should not be concerning because an affirmative vote by an SCC majority at our February 23rd meeting had to precede any contract.
After learning of the LU press release yesterday afternoon, I personally spoke by phone with one of LU’s Senior Vice Presidents, wishing to receive information directly from the LU senior leadership in light of the delicate nature of the situation. We mutually agreed that RPV and LU would continue with a second round of discussions (an initial round took place last week), with a goal of finalizing arrangements for the 2021 RPV State Convention on LU property.
Accordingly, I am dispatching an RPV State Convention Site Survey Team to visit LU next Wednesday, March 3rd, at 2:30pm. Their mission is to collaborate with university officials and reach consensus on arrangements. The results of their deliberations will then be codified in a contract for review and consideration by RPV. Team members include:
· Melvin Adams, Chairman, 5th Congressional District Republican Committee
· Steve “Doc” Troxel, 6th Congressional District Representative to the SCC ·
Del. Wendell Walker, House of Delegates Republican Caucus Representative to the SCC
· Nancy Dye, RPV Western Vice Chairwoman
· William Pace, Chairman, Pittsylvania County Republican Committee · Tommy Ewing, RPV Political Director
In closing, we are working hard to finalize arrangements for our convention as directed by a majority vote of the SCC on February 23rd. I discussed these intentions today in four separate interviews with media outlets across Virginia, and I’m now reporting the same to you, my fellow Republicans.
After we move beyond this contentious period and nominate our three statewide candidates, I ask that we work on one overarching goal: Coming together as a united party to elect a Republican Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General—and recapturing our Republican majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. Our candidates and the people of Virginia deserve nothing less.
RICHARD L. ANDERSON
Chairman
Republican Party of Virginia
